Multiple switch



July 3, 1934. M, KETAY 1,965,125

MULTI PLE SWITCH Filed April 13. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JNVENTOR. MORE/5 i755 7,4 Y

A TTGRNEY,

July 3, 1934. M. F. KETAY MULTIPLE SWITCH Filed April 15. 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v UNITED Morris F. Ketay, Brooklyn,

Bendix Aviation Corporation,

STATES PATENT OFFICE MULTIPLE SWITCH N. Y., assignor to South Bend, Ind.,

a corporation of Delaware 7 Application April 13, 1932, Serial No. 605,079

10 Claims.

I'he present invention relates to electrical vswitches and more particularly to multiple and/or,

built-up electrical switches.

Heretofore, various structures of multiple switches have been provided, all of which, however, were of a permanent nature and could not have additional switch units added thereto or removed therefrom without destroying and/ or rebuilding the entire structure.

Furthermore,

structures of the prior art were more or less bulky and cumbersome, and the number of switch units which could be satisfactorily embodied therein was very limited. Accordingly one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a multiple or built-up electrical switch embodying a novel, unitary and compact structure whereby the foregoing difficulties are eliminated and the size thereof greatly reduced and wherebythe number of switch units which it is desired to employ may be substantially increased without detracting from the efficiency thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved form of built-up and or multiple switch embodying relatively few interconnecting parts and one in which repairs, replacements, addition and removal of switch units may be accomplished in a minimum of time and with a minimum amount of dismantling and with substantially no reassembling of parts.

A further objectis to provide a novel multiple switch structure embodying a plurality of switch units and means for simultaneously operating all of said units.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel multiple or built-up switch em bodying a plurality of switch banks, each bank being constituted by a plurality of switch units,

and means whereby, all of said banks may be operated simultaneously as a single unit.

tiple switch structure switches confined in a A still further object is to provide a novel mulembodying a plurality of minimum of space and arranged to form a small, compact and substantially rectangular unit.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more after from a consideration of the fully hereindetailed description which follows, together with the accompanying drawings wherein one embodiment of the invention is described and illustrated. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the description and drawings are not intended the limits of the invention,

to define reference being had for this purpose primarily to the appended claims.

In the drawings wherein like reference char.-

acters refer to like parts throughout the several views,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, with parts broken away, of one form of novel multiple switch embodying the present invention and showing only one switch bank constituting a plurality of switch units;

Fig. la is a frame on which the switch constitute a rack; 5

Fig. 2 is an end view of the novel structure as seen from the right of Fig. l;v

Fig. 3 is a top plan view showing the arrangement of the plurality of switch units;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation similar to Fig. l, with 7 parts broken away, illustrating the manner of building up a plurality of switch banks in accordance with the invention; and

Fig. 5 is an end view of the built-up structure shown in Fig. 4 as seen from the right of the latter figure.

The structure embodying the present invention consists of a suitable fixed and stationary frame, preferably of. cast aluminum and formed as a single piece, on which are carried and insulated therefrom a plurality of stationary electrical contacts provided with suitable terminals for connecting them in electrical circuits, as desired, and pivotally carried by the frame and movable longitudinally relative thereto is a lever mechanism including a pair of cores cooperating with a pair of solenoids carried by the fixed frame, a rod or bar also preferably of aluminum on which are carried and movable therewith but insulated therefrom a plurality of electrical contacts which are arranged to cooperate with the fixed contacts carried by the frame to open and close their respective circuits, and a pair of levers pivoted on the frame at opposite ends thereof and connecting the ends of the rod or bar to the two cores, respectively, whereby upon energization of one of the solenoids its cooperating core is drawn therewithin to move the rod or bar by one of the levers in one direction to actuate the movable contacts into engagement with the fixed contacts for closing the respective circuits and upon energization of the other solenoid its cooperating core is attracted thereby to move the rod or bar by the other lever in the opposite direction to actuate the movable contacts out of engagement with said fixed contacts foropening the circuits. The rod is arranged to operate the contacts in either direction with a snap action by the provision of a compression spring connected to said rod and to the frame. 110

perspective view of one form of banks are mounted to This arrangementconstitutes one switch bank and, as will appear more fully hereinafter in connection with Figs. 4 and 5, as many of these switch banks as may be desired may be mounted One upon the other and operated simultaneously as a unit by the electro-magnets or solenoids, thereby forming a switch rack or multiple switch which consists of a plurality of switch banks removably independent of each other, each bank comprising a plurality of switch units'to form a unitary structure, and each switch unit comprising a plurality of contacts for opening and closing an electrical circuit. The switch units are also removably independent of each other so that any number of units may be employed to constitute a switch bank, and any number of switch banks may be built-up to form the complete rack.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Figs. 1, 1a, 2 and 3, the novel switch, in the form shown therein, is constituted by a suitable frame 6 formed in one piece, preferably of some suitable material such as cast aluminum in order to reduce the weight, and has formed integrally therewith two pairs of upwardly extending-arms 7, 8 and 9, 10, each pair being joined at the bottom by transverse portions 11 and 12, respectively, to form U-shaped ends of the frame.

' The arms 7 and 9 and the arms 8 and 10 are further joined together at their upward ends by longitudinal portions 13 and 14, respectively, as clearly shown in perspective in Fig. 1a, to form a supporting platform. Secured to the arms 7, 9, and 8, 10 and parallel to the platform formed by the portions 13 and 14 are a pair of insulating versely of the frame and on the platform, each' switch unit being constituted by a pair of fixed contacts 22 and 23 and. a pair of cooperating movable contacts 24 and 25, respectively.- The fixed contacts 22 and 23 are mounted on the insulating strips 15 and 16, respectively, in any suitable manner as by means of upright .angle members 26 and 27 which are secured to the insulating strips as by means of rivets 26a and 27a. The movable contacts 24 and 25 of each switch unit are carried on opposite ends of a bus strip 28 of some suitable conducting material such as copper, which is resiliently secured to an insulating member 29 by means of a pin 30 and a coil spring 31 interposed between the bus strip 28 and the pin 30,.in order to provide resiliency to said movable contacts when they are actuated into an engagement with their cooperating fixed contacts 22 and 23. The fixed contacts 22 and 23 are provided with suitable terminals or lugs 32 and 33 attached to the angle members 26 and 27 in any suitable manner as by means of screws 34 and 35 and pins 36 and 37 secured to or formed integral with the angle members 26 and 27 to prevent rotation of the lugs 32 and 33 when the screws 34 and 35 are being tightened.

Means are now provided for actuating the movable contacts 24 and 25 of each switch unit into and out of engagement with their cooperating fixed contacts 22 and 23, and for this purpose the insulator member 29 of each switch unit is opposite ends of the bar 38 are pivotally secured of pins 41 and 42, said levers 39 and 40 being in turn pivoted between the arms 9, 10 and 7, 8, respectively, as by means of pins 43 and 44, thereby forming a bell-crank at each end of the rod 38. The other ends of the levers 39 and 40 are pivotally secured to laminated cores or armatures 45 and 46 of some suitable magnetizable material such as soft iron, said cores 45 and 46 cooperating with electro-magnets or solenoids 47 and 48, respectively, carried in frames 49 and 50 which are secured to the main frame in any suitable manner as by means of screws 50a, and so arranged that they are suspended from the arms 13 and 14 and confined within the space formed therebeneath by the inner sides of said members 13 and 14 and arms 7, 8, 9, and 10, thereby forming a compact and unitary structure. The electro-magnets or solenoids 4'2 and 48 are provided with a pair of terminals 51, 52 and 53, 54, respectively, for connecting them to a suitable source of electrical energy for energization thereof. This lever mechanism which includes the rod 38, the levers 39 and 40, and the cores 45 and 46, is so arranged that when the solenoid 47 is energized the core 45 is attracted thereby and drawn therewithin and by virtue of the pivotal connection 43 of the lever 49 the rod 38 is caused to'be moved to the left as viewed in Fig. 3, thereby bringing the movable contacts. 24 and 25 into engagement with the fixed contacts 22 and 23 and thus bridging the gap between said contacts 22 and'23 by means of the pair of dogs 55 and 56 pivotally mounted on opposite sides of the rod 38 as by means of pivot posts 57 and 58 secured to the insulating strips 16 and 15, respectively. The dogs 55 and 56 are pro- .vided with fingers 59 and 60, respectively, which are adapted to slidably engage the side walls of a bracket 61 carried by the rod 38. A pair of compression springs 62 and 63 encircle the dogs 55 and 56 and are held thereon by means of washers 64 and 65 and pins 66 and 67 which are interposed between the side walls of the bracket 61 and the washers 64 and 65, said dogs being so positioned on the strips 15 and 16 with respect to the bracket 61 that upon movement of the rod 38 to the left, as viewed in Fig. 3, the fingers 59 and 60 are caused to extend further into the side walls of the bracket 61 thereby compressing the springs 62 and 63, but upon the bracket 61 reaching a position beyond a line joining the centers of the pivot posts 57 and 58 the energy stored in the springs 62 and 63 causes the bracket 61 and hence the rod'38 to be actuated rapidly for the remainderof the movement to the left. The same action occurs when the rod 38 is moved to the right and hence the contacts are opened and closed with a snap action in order to prevent excessive sparkings between the contacts thereby increasing the life of the latter.

Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5, thereis illustrated one manner in which the novel switch embodying the present invention may be built up to constitute a plurality of switch banks, each of which comprises a plurality of switch units. This may be accomplished by merely providing additional pairs of the insulating strips 15 and 16 and securingthem to the frame 6 in spaced relation with respect to each other in any suitable manner as by means of hollow insulating spacing members 68 and screws 69, the shanks of the latter being of the required length to extend down through the members 15 and 16 and the spacing members or rods 68 to the frame 6.

Any number of switch'units may be mounted on the members 15 and 16 as may be desired or required. The movable contacts of the additional switch units are built up in the same manner as the fixed contacts by providing an additional bar or rod 38 for each switch bank and securing the bars to the levers 39 and l0 in spaced relation with each other by means of additional spacing rods 70 and screws '71, which may be made identical with the spacing rods 66 and screws 67 thereby reducing the cost of manufacture since they can be made in large quantities and kept in stock. It will be seen that in order to build up a rack of three switch banks, for example, all that is necessary is to provide two additional sets of the insulating members 15 and i6, eight spacing rods 68, and four screws 69 for securing frame 6, and then provide two additional bars or rods 38 and securing them to the bell-cranks 39 and 40 by four spacing rods 70 and two screws '71.

Then any desired number of switch units may be mounted on the insulating members 15 and 16- and the rods 38 as may be called for in the particular installation in which the novel multiple or built-up switch is to be employed. It will also be bank comprising a plurality apparent that if, after a rack is built up, an additional bank of switches is desired to be added there is no necessity for dismantling the rack, the only thing required to do being to remove the screws 69 and 71 and to add on the extra bank as indicated above and to substitute screws of different length in order to secure the bank to the rack.

There is thus provided a novel multiple switch constituting a rack made up of a plurality of switch banks, the number of which may be increased or decreased as desired with a minimum amount of dismantling and in which all of the switch units of each of the respective banks are arranged to be actuated simultaneously for controlling a relatively large number of circuits at one time.

Although only one embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described it will now appear to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications in arrangement in form may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, and reference is, therefore, to be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A built-up multiple electrical switch comprising a rackmade up of a frame and a plurality of switch banks arranged in parallel relation one over the other longitudinally of theframe, each of switch units arranged in parallel planes extending transversely of the frame and constructed to form a unitary structure, each switch unit comprising a plurality of contacts, each of the banks and the units beingremovably independent of the others, and means for connecting said switch units to electrical circuits.

2. A built-up multiple electrical switch comprising a frame, a switch bank carried by and insulated from said frame and extending parallel thereto longitudinally thereof, said switch bank constituting a plurality of switch units, each switch unit comprising fixed and movable contacts, said units being arranged transversely of the frame in planes parallel to each other and movable longitudinally of the frame along a them to the banks may be secured to the frame and built up one over the other longitudinally of the frame and parallel to each other and to the first switch bank to form a unitary structure, and means for actuating all of saidswitch units simultaneously.

3. A built-up multiple electrical switch comprising a rack made up of a frame, a plurality of switch banks arranged in parallel relation one over the other longitudinally of the frame, each bank comprising a plurality of switch units arranged in parallel planes extending transversely of the frame to form a unitary structure, each switch unit comprising fixed and movable contacts, and means for actuating all of the banks and, hence, all of the switch units simultaneously as a unit.

4. A built-up multiple electrical switch comprising a rack made up of a plurality of parallel switch banks, each bank comprising a plurality of parallel switch units arranged to form a unitary structure, said switch units extending transversely of the banks and being movable longitudinally thereof, and means for simultaneously actuating all of the switch units of all of the switch banks as a unit.

5. A multiple electrical switch comprising a frame, a switch bank carried by and insulated from said frame, said switch bank comprising a plurality of parallel switch units arranged transversely of the frame in substantially parallel planes and movable longitudinally of said frame 6. A multiple electrical switch comprising a 1 frame, a switch bank carried by and insulated from said frame, said switch bank comprising a plurality of parallel switch units arranged transversely of the frame in substantially parallel planes and movable longitudinally of said frame in astraight line to open and close their respective circuits, and means including a rod, a link mechanism and electro-rnagnetic means for operating said rod through said link mechanism to actuate all of said switch units simultaneously and as a single unit.

'7. A multiple electrical switch comprising a frame having end members forming a space therebetween, a plurality of switch units carried by said frame above said space, each unit comprising fixed and movable contacts, means carrying all of the movable contacts, electro-magnetic means carried by the frame and within the space formed by the end members, and means pivotally connected to and carried by said end members and connected to said carrying means for actuating all of said movable contacts as a unit upon energization of said electro-magnetic means.

8. A multiple electrical switch comprising a frame constituted bya pair of U-shaped endmembers having their free ends connected together to form a platform, insulating means on said platform, a plurality of switch units secured to said platform and insulating means, said units being parallel to each other and arranged transversely of the frame, each unit comprising fixed and movable contacts, a member parallel to said platform and carrying the movable contacts of the switch units, means pivotally mounted between the arms of the end members and connected to netic means carried by the platform in the space formed therebeneath by the end members for tro-magnetic means carried by the frame within the space formed by the end members of said frame, and means pivotally carried by said end members and connected to said switch banks for operating the latter simultaneously as a unit upon energization of said electro-magnetic means.

10. A multiple electrical switch comprising a frame constituted by a pair of U -shaped end membershaving their free ends connected together to form a platform, insulating means on said said contact carrying means, and electro-magplatform, a plurality of switch units secured to said platform and insulating means, said units being in parallel planes extending transversely of the platform and connected together to form a switch bank, a removable support secured to the platform and extending over the switch units longitudinally of the frame, insulating means on said support, a second set of switch units similar to the first set and arranged in a similar manner to form a second switch bank, each switch unit of each bank comprising fixed and movable contacts, a longitudinal member for each switch bank, said members being parallel to the platform longitudinally thereof and carrying the movable contacts of their respective switch units, means removably connecting said longitudinal members for simultaneous operation thereof, means pivotally mounted between the arms of the end members of the frame and connected to said longitudinal member connecting means, and electromagnetic means carried by the platform in the space formed therebeneath by the end members for operating the switch banks and, hence, the switch units simultaneously as a single unit.

MORRIS F. KETAY. 

